Novel set in Sicily, crammed with the tastes of the island….

13th July 2019

My Lemon Grove Summer by Jo Thomas, novel set in Sicily.

As students, Zelda and her best friend Lennie formed a pact; that if they reached forty and hadn’t found their ideal partners, they would marry each other.  Now that time is approaching and Zelda, sick of her dead-end job and of being ghosted by potential suitors, agrees to a fresh start with Lennie in a hilltop town in Sicily.  Citta d’Ora is depopulating and the mayor has offered a resettlement package for couples that seems too good to be true.  At first glance, the place seems to offer an idyllic future for the disenchanted Brits – the town is perched on the slopes of Mount Etna, surrounded by lemon groves sloping down to sparkling blue seas.  However, it soon becomes clear that what the new arrivals expected cannot be delivered.  The promised resettlement grant and houses seem to have vanished into thin air and it is quickly apparent that most of the residents of Citta d’Ora are far from pleased to see the new arrivals. To further complicate matters, Zelda and local restauranteur, Luca, form a meaningful friendship that makes Zelda begin to question her future with Lennie. But feisty and fearless Zelda isn’t about to let anyone snatch her dreams from her and she sets about sorting out the problems and finding a new use for the neglected lemon groves.

In her latest novel, Jo Thomas has certainly managed to convey a vivid picture of life in the glorious island of Sicily for the reader:  Mount Etna is ever present in the background puffing gentle white clouds of steam into the sun-filled blue skies and sometimes, in more sinister mood, venting black ash.  The scented lemon groves, filled with glorious wild flowers surround romantically crumbling villages, where the pace of life is gentle.  As ever, in Jo Thomas’ books, food features large and this is no exception, for My Lemon Grove Summer is crammed with the tastes of Sicily, from succulent roasted herby porchetta to delicious lemon and pine nut pasta, washed down with a few glasses of the ubiquitous limoncello, making this novel a mouth-watering experience.

This is a novel for those who like wonderful locations and a fairly predictable romance.  Some of the plotting does stretch credibility and there are quite some clichéd food metaphors. Yes, My Lemon Grove Summer does tend towards the saccharine, like the much featured limoncello drink itself; it does make for an enjoyable way to spend a few hours and the location alone makes it worth a read!

Ellen for the TripFiction Team

HERE Jo talks about the wonderful setting!

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